Pyro processing

Lime hydration systems

Pyro processing

Lime hydrators
With over 100 years of experience in the minerals processing industries the lime industry
in particular Metso has the resources and the expertise to design and supply a lime hydration
system that best meets the specific requirements of each particular application.
Lime hydration process
The lime hydration process is one in which lime is combined with
a proportional amount of water at a controlled rate. The chemical
reaction that takes place between the lime and water (shown
below in its simplest form) is an exothermic one, through which
a significant amount of heat is generated 497 Btu per pound
of CaO.

CaO + H2O

Ca(OH)2 + Heat

The amount of water that is metered into this particular process

is basically stoichiometric on a net basis; that is, only the amount
required to combine with the amount of calcium oxide present,
with the excess water supplied being flashed off as steam, as a
result of the heat generated by the reaction. Because of this, the
lime hydrate produced is a dry, powdery material with a moisture
content that is typically less than 1%.

The typical Metso non-pressure or atmospheric hydration system

consists of a weigh belt feeder, duplex mixer (or pre-mixer),
seasoning chamber, transition duct, baghouse and vent fan,
as well as the various field instruments required to control the
process. (Please see Figure 1.)
The weigh belt feeder delivers lime typically 3/8 in. x 0 or
finer to the duplex mixer at a controlled rate. Water is also
metered into the mixer at an appropriately proportional rate.
This addition of water is controlled so that the truly active part
of the chemical reaction is not begun until the mixture of lime
and water has entered the adjoining seasoning chamber.
Minimal steam is developed in the duplex mixer, itself. Hardburned limes those with a low reactivity require more
time in the duplex mixer in order to begin reacting; therefore,
the speed of the mixer must be relatively slow. On the other
hand, soft-burned more reactive limes require less time
for this initial step in the process and so, the mixer speed must be
faster, in relative terms. The variable speed drive supplied with
the duplex mixer serves to accommodate such potential variations
in the lime feed to the hydration system.

2 Lime Hydration Systems

1. Duplex mixer This is the first chamber

into which both lime and water are
introduced. The unit is of carbon steel
construction and is equipped with two
paddle shafts for mixing. The unit
includes a variable speed drive.
2. Seasoning chamber This is the
second system chamber in which the
lime/water mixture is processed. The unit
is of carbon steel construction and is
equipped with a single paddle shaft
for additional mixing. The unit is sized to
provide a residence time sufficient for
completing the hydration reaction.

Lime feed
from weigh
belt feeder

Process
water

3. Baghouse collector A baghouse type

collector is used to vent the super-heated
steam from the process, while filtering
out the very fine hydrate particles from
the exhaust stream and keeping them
in the process to ultimately discharge
as product.
4. System vent fan and exhaust stack
A small capacity vent fan is provided
to induce the super-heated water vapor
(gas) released during the exothermic
reaction in the seasoning chamber into
the baghouse, and to then exhaust the
filtered vaporous effluent to atmosphere
through a small stack.

Lime Hydration Systems 3

Figure 1

Lime hydrate
product

The paste or slurry of lime and water that forms in the mixer discharges
into the seasoning chamber where it is retained for the proper length
of time to complete the hydration reaction. The seasoning chamber
is a horizontal, semi-cylindrical vessel in which a shaft fitted with arms
and paddles slowly rotates to mix the mass of hydrating lime and slowly
advance it to the product discharge. Retention time in the seasoning
chamber can be adjusted, to some extent, by adding or removing plates
that make up a variable height overflow weir at the discharge end of the
seasoning chamber. The actual retention time required depends upon
the type and quality of lime fed to the system.
Nearly all limes contain some hard-burned particles or impurities, which
do not hydrate. These heavier particles, often referred to as grit, sink to
the bottom of the agitated mass and do not overflow the discharge weir.
Therefore, these particles must periodically be removed through openings
provided in the bottom of the chamber. These openings are fitted with
driven knife gates to facilitate removal of the grit during a shutdown.
The hydrated lime that overflows the weir at the seasoning chamber
discharge is generally a finely divided powder. The normal temperature
range for high calcium hydrate product is 194 to 212 F; this corresponds
to approximately 0.5% free H2O in the hydrate. It is advisable to operate
with a small percentage of free water in the hydrate to assure complete
hydration of the reactive oxides in the quicklime feed.
The steam generated in the seasoning chamber is vented through a baghouse
type collector. The hydrate pulled into the baghouse with the steam generated by the hydration process collects on the outside of the filter bags. The
bags are pulsed with compressed air from the inside, which loosens the
hydrate from the outside of the bags, causing it to fall back into the seasoning
chamber below, from where it eventually discharges as product.

Metso believes in the keep it simple

design principle, as is evidenced by
the equipment rendering shown
above not a lot of unnecessary
bells and whistles. It is the straightforward, user-friendly design of the
Metso system that makes it an
attractive lime hydrating solution.

4 Lime Hydration Systems

There is a similar process in which an excess amount of water is used

to hydrate the lime. This process is referred to as lime slaking and
the product discharged from a lime slaker takes the form of a slurry.
Information specific to Metso lime slakers is available separately.

There is yet a third type of lime hydration process that involves

lime containing a significant amount of magnesium, which is
commonly referred to as dolomitic lime or simply dolime. This
process also produces a dry, powdery hydrate, but because the
magnesium oxide present in the dolime does not easily combine
with water, the process requires pressure. Information specific
to Metso pressure hydration systems is also available separately.

Compressed air
Process water

Lime

Grit
removal

Lime Hydration Systems 5

Hydrated
lime

Lime feed bin and enclosed weigh feeder

Duplex mixer and seasoning chamber

The figure below shows a typical stack-up of a standard Metso hydration system with a nominal hydrate production capacity of 8.5 STPH.

26 ft.

10 ft.

26 ft.

6 Lime Hydration Systems

Duplex mixer drive

Properties of commercial high calcium lime products

Properties

Pebble Lime

Lime Hydrate

Chemical Name

Calcium Oxide

Calcium Hydroxide

CaO

Ca(OH)2

3.2 3.4

2.3 2.4

56.08

74.09

55 60

25 35

Specific Heat @ 100 F, Btu/lb.

0.19

0.29

Angle Of Repose

55

70

Chemical Formula
Specific Gravity
Molecular Weight
Bulk Density lb./cu ft.

Metso hydrators standard sizes

Production
Capacity
(STPH)

Lime
Feed
(STPH)

Process Water
Required
(GPM)

Duplex
Mixer Size
(INCHES)

Seasoning
Chamber Size
(FEET)

8.5

6.60

16

33 x 60

4.5 x 12

15

11.30

28

33 x 60

6 x 12

25

18.90

47

51 x 122

8 x 14

40

30.25

75

51 x 122

9 x 14

Lime Hydration Systems 7

Expect results
It is our promise
to our customers and
the essence of our strategy.

Metso Minerals Industries, Inc., 350 Railroad Street, Danville, PA 17821, USA, tel +1 570 275 3050, fax +1 570 275 6789, www.metso.com

2475-02-12-MBL/Danville

It is the attitude
we share globally;
our business is to deliver
results to our customers,
to help them reach
their goals.